Mysteries remain in homicide case

Jun. 29, 2013

Diane Staudte

Written by

RachelStaudte

Some obvious questions emerge as more details surface in the case of a Springfield mother and daughter accused of poisoning three family members:

How did this all happen?

If they killed two relatives, how did those deaths go undetected? Why wasn’t an anonymous tip taking seriously?

A timeline of more than a year is falling into place as to how and when mother Diane Staudte and daughter Rachel Staudte allegedly killed the patriarch and only son in the family before allegedly trying to kill another daughter.

On Thursday, an unsealed search warrant revealed that an anonymous caller tipped off police that Diane Staudte might have been involved in the deaths of her husband, Mark and son, Shaun. That call came the day Shaun died, in September 2012.

But it wasn’t until many months later, when daughter Sarah Staudte lay in a hospital bed near death and another anonymous tipster called authorities that police interviewed Diane and Rachel.

Authorities say both confessed to killing the men of the family and trying the same tactic again — poisoning by antifreeze — against Sarah.

In light of the first tip, numerous Ozarks residents have taken to social media, questioning how the alleged crimes could go unnoticed.

And they aren’t the only ones wondering how poisoning via antifreeze could be missed.

The first anonymous tip came the day Shaun died. According to police, officers followed up with the medical examiner’s office to see if there was any reason to be suspicious based on Shaun’s autopsy.

According to police, the medical examiner told authorities that Shaun’s autopsy revealed a death by natural causes.

But the officer taking a new look at the case over the past few weeks shared a different opinion in the search warrant document.

“I know that death by poisoning can often go undetected because it is difficult for the medical examiner to know what if any poisons to test for during the autopsy,” notes officer Neal McAmis.

But then, a few lines later, he writes, “Based upon my experience, bleeding from the mouth is not common from a death due to natural causes.”

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Police reports from the deaths of both Mark and Shaun noted blood around their mouths.

The News-Leader called the medical examiner’s office in Columbia to ask for an explanation.

“There’s not much I can tell you because it’s the policy of the Medical Examiner’s Office not to discuss cases currently under investigation,” said Mary Jenkins, the public relations manager for the University of Missouri Health System.

A final report could be weeks away.

Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Todd Myers said Friday that the county prosecutor’s office was not notified of the first tip on the day Shaun died.

From a police perspective, Myers explained, anonymous tips are often difficult legally, because they’re not generally enough evidence to go on.

Diane and Rachel Staudte are each charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of felony A assault in the first degree and one count of felony armed criminal action.

Timeline of events in antifreeze poisonings case

April 2012 Mark Staudte was found dead. An officer spoke with Diane Staudte, who said her husband had not been feeling well for a couple of days, according to a police report compiled later. She said he’d had three seizures that day but did not have a history of seizures, according to a probable cause statement later used to file criminal charges. The medical examiner ruled the death natural. September 2012 Shaun Staudte stopped breathing and police were called. Diane Staudte told an officer her son had not been feeling well, and when she checked on him a last time, he did not have a pulse, according to the probable cause statement. The medical examiner said death resulted from prior medical issues. That was despite a call to police from an anonymous man concerned Diane Staudte might have had something to do with her son’s death, according to a search warrant produced later. The caller, who claimed to be a family friend, also pointed out Diane Staudte had her husband’s body cremated immediately following his death. The caller also noted that Shaun Staudte was only 25 and did not have any illnesses that the caller was aware of. June 11, 2013 Police say they received a new anonymous call that Diane Staudte was possibly responsible for “two or three homicides.” The caller referenced the deaths of Staudte’s husband, Mark, and son, Shaun, and the hospitalization of her daughter, Sarah. June 13, 2013 An investigator went to Cox South and spoke with the nurse in charge of Sarah Staudte, who was in serious and potentially fatal condition at the time. The nurse said Diane Staudte had been to visit her daughter a couple of times, according to the probable cause statement. Diane Staudte did not seem concerned for her daughter and even planned a vacation for a week later, regardless of her daughter’s health at that point in time, authorities say. June 20, 2013 Police asked Diane Staudte to come to the station for questioning. Police say she eventually admitted to her crimes: putting antifreeze in her husband’s Gatorade, putting antifreeze in her son’s Coke and poisoning her daughter. June 21, 2013 Diane Staudte was charged with murder and assault and armed criminal action. June 22, 2013 Rachel Staudte admitted to crimes after being confronted with evidence of her involvement, according to a probable cause statement filed against her.